Armenian News

RFE/RL Report
World Bank Official Urges Action Against Armenian `Shadow Economy'
Armenia -- Aristomene Varoudakis, head of World Bank's Yerevan office,
27Nov2009
18.06.2010
Ruben Meloyan

A senior official from the World Bank urged the Armenian authorities
on Friday to clamp down on what he described as a huge informal sector
of the domestic economy.


Aristomene Varoudakis, the head of the bank's Yerevan office, said the
shadow economy and the resulting tax evasion is one of the most
serious problems hampering Armenia's economic development.

`I have no number to give you, but what I am hearing from different
analysts is that the shadow economy in Armenia could be an equivalent
of as much as 35 or 40 percent of GDP,' Varoudakis told a news
conference. `And of course, it is a very important challenge to
formalize this informal economy so as to increase tax revenues and be
able to pay for much needed social services.'

Varoudakis said companies involved in the shadow sector would also
benefit from the legalization and transparency of their
operations. `And people working for those businesses will be better
protected,' he argued.

Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have long been
pressing the Armenian authorities to improve tax collection. The
authorities' tax revenues have grown steadily and considerably since
the late 1990s, but they remain very modest in relative terms. The
revenue total was equivalent to only about 16.5 percent of GDP last
year.

The Armenian government and Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian in
particular have repeatedly declared improved tax administration a top
priority. But as a senior IMF official stated in April, government
efforts have still not lived up to the fund's expectations.

Varoudakis said government action is especially needed in Armenia's
export-oriented mining industry. `Now the mining sector is rather
undertaxed in Armenia,' he said. `Taxation regime in the Armenian
mining sector is way below the international best standards.'

The World Bank official said the government has pledged to remedy the
situation with major changes in Armenia's tax legislation regulating
the work of mining companies. The planned reform will be financed from
a $25 million budgetary loan which the bank plans to allocate to the
government this year, he said.


ARMENIA: THE PROPER WAY TO PAY YOUR RESPECTS
Jack Aslanian
Guardian Weekly
Tuesday 16 March 2010 09.00 GMT

Guardian Weekly reader Jack Aslanian details the elaborate and
expensive funeral tradition in Armenia, where an average funeral
wreath can cost $100 - the monthly income of a teacher

People gather at a ceremony marking the anniversary of mass killings
of Armenians in 1915. Photograph: Reuters

In wide angle, the colours of winter Yerevan are made up of shades of
grey, punctuated by black cars and people's clothes. Close up, however,
one is struck by extravagant fashion. Yerevan is aflutter with the
embodiments of pages from fashion magazines. Here glamour seems to
be a matter of personal dignity, as too are expensive funerals.

An average funeral wreath can set back a sympathiser around $100 -
the monthly income of a teacher. For the bereaved family too, a
funeral is costly, and long. For a start, three memorial meals must
be held in the first week after the death.

On the eve of the funeral, a wake is held in the deceased's home.

Outside the entrance to the building, wreaths flank the doorway.

A black-draped platform in the living room supports the open casket,
surrounded by bouquets; the lid is propped upright.

After people have paid their respects, family and close friends remain,
taking it in turns to keep the nightlong vigil. In the morning,
mourners regather before going to the cemetery.

Until recently, corteges marched down the middle of city streets.

Holding the open coffin high and displaying the deceased's photograph,
pallbearers set the pace to the accompaniment of a brass band or,
lately considered nationally more authentic, the wailful tones of
the doudouk. But increasing traffic in central Yerevan has meant that
now the coffin is carried three times round the deceased's block. At
the funeral I attended, the pallbearers stopped outside the entrance
and rotated the open casket overhead six times before putting it into
the hearse.

A traditional Armenian Christian funeral (imitating Christ's interment)
requires women to distance themselves before the coffin is closed
and lowered into the grave. They return the next day.

By the seventh day after her death (another day that is marked),
all 12 wreaths had disappeared from Astghig H's graveside.

A local explained that scavengers take the wreaths to sell the foam
rings and supporting tripods to florists to reuse. My indignation had
to be suppressed. The priest had begun blessing the departed's tomb
and soul. At the memorial lunch that followed, discussing robbery
and disturbing the spirits would have been undignified, as would
effusively praising the food.

TURKEY LEADER ERDOGAN CLAIMS MUSLIMS CANNOT
COMMIT GENOCIDE
examiner.com
June 15 2010

I was minding my own business, reading an essay from one of my favorite
writers. And, then he mentions this:

"In a similar vein, Erdogan has warmly embraced Sudan's leader,
Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Bashir has been accused of genocide by the
International Criminal Court. Erdogan's response? 'A Muslim can never
commit genocide.'"

Oh no, here we go again. Another Muslim leader who does not seem to
have his finger on the pulse--any pulse.

Recep Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Turkey is taking his country
right off a cliff, an Muslim extremist cliff. Turkey, the only secular
Muslim democracy in the Middle East, a member of NATO and a valued
member of the region has in recent years being throwing rocks and
breaking windows in the west.

And, this is all due to their present government led by Erdogan. That
he can come up with a statement like that indicates he is really out
of touch with reality.

Does he actually think the world would respect a comment like that?

I think Erdogan's comments would be argued vociferously by the
Darfurians, Syrian Jews, the Kurds or any one of a number of peoples
today or in history. It is such an outrageous comment for a head of
state to say, that I just don't know where to begin to refute it. .

Especially for a Turkish leader to insinuate that somehow Muslims
are high above the rest of the peoples on Earth and are incapable
of committing those atrocities. I would remind Erdogan that his own
people carried on one of the most infamous genocides in history, twice
against the Armenians, in 1895 and 1915. Hell, his own grandfather
probably took part in the killing.

That just adds to the contemptible assertion that somehow "they"
are not capable of genocide.

What if Angela Merkel was a Holocaust denier? I tend to think the
world would react with the suitable condemnations. So, why are we
all so silent about Erdogan's remarks.

It's frightening to think if a leader of a nation would not admit to
committing genocide then how much easier is it for him to order it
and justify it in his own mind and pass that on to his peoples.

The question is what do we do about it? His nation's status in NATO
ought to be brought up for review. I doubt this would happen in the
present administration but the American government, the main governing
power in NATO should place Turkey on notice.

After all this is not the first provocation. His alliances with
American enemies like Iran cannot be avoided. If necessary, Turkey
should be thrown out of NATO and all the codes should be changed to
disable any advantage he would have if we ever go to war with him.

Oh, how do we get into these messes?

Genocide 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl8sMDZkyXc&feature=PlayList&p=C19E20177778A4E8&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=48

Genocide 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJI0HQLHlX4&feature=related

Genocide 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E51OUnvvSf8&feature=related

With respect to the Armenian community I present this video. I wonder
how Erdogan would weasel his way out of denying this one.

BRANDY SALES DECLINE IN MAIN MARKET KEEPS ON
Aysor
June 15 2010
Armenia

"This year is very difficult in the respect of sales, as compared
with the previous year, we have another 26 percent decline both in
the main, Russian market and in the global market," Yerevan Brandy
Company Director General Ara Grigoryan declared.

According to A. Grigoryan, the data comparison of pre-crisis year 2008
and first 5 months of year 2010 makes it clear that Ararat Armenian
brandy sales decline has reached 55 percent. He said that unlike
Armenian market, which is small yet is being restored, the 2 main
markets, Russian and Ukrainian, where company production is sold,
stay on decline.

Therefore the company undertakes a number of measures - starting from
change in pricing policy up to change in brandy form, some marketing
events, etc.

As to the amount of grapes to be purchased, according to A. Grigoryan,
this year YBC either did not need grapes or in consideration of the
decline needed 14-15 tons only, but the company has made a decision
to purchase 29 thousand tons of grapes as it is the amount the plant
can store.